The Breakfast
Encyclopedia
The Breakfast is an American jam band
known for its style of progressive and funk rock.
in 1998 with the original lineup consisting of guitar
ist Tim Palmieri, bassist
Ron Spears, drummer
Adrian Tramontano, and keyboardist
Jordan Giangreco. They decided on their first name, Psychedelic Breakfast, based on the suggestion of Tramontano's cousin. It is a reference to the Pink Floyd
song "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast
", from their album Atom Heart Mother
. The original idea of the band's name was a play-off of that song; "Adrian's Psychedelic Breakfast" (after Tramontano), and was later shortened to just "Psychedelic Breakfast". The band then began playing shows in Northeast and released their first album, Psychedelic Breakfast, in the summer of 1999. Four songs from that album were featured on the MTV
series Undressed
.
The band released their second studio album, Deuce, in the summer of 2001, followed by their first live album, Bona Fide, in the winter of 2003, a time during which they began supplementing their Northeast shows with the occasional national tour.
The band then won a Jammy Award
for being "New Groove of the Year" in 2004, and shortly thereafter decided to change their name to The Breakfast. Also around this time, Relix Magazine printed an article about the band.
In the summer of 2005, The Breakfast released their third studio album, Real Radio, and embarked on a national tour that saw them open for popular bands such as The Wailers, moe.
, North Mississippi Allstars
, and Gomez
.
The Breakfast then released their fourth studio album, Moxie Epoxy, in the fall of 2006.
On July 7, 2006, shortly after The Breakfast played its 1,000th show, Giangreco played what was intended to be his final show with the band at Beardslee Castle
in Little Falls, New York
. Palmieri, Spears, and Tramontano then continued on as a trio for the next 13 months with Palmieri playing both keyboard and guitar.
On August 12, 2007, Matt Oestreicher played his first show as The Breakfast's new keyboardist at Gathering of the Vibes
in Bridgeport, CT.
On Dec. 31, Spears played his final show as The Breakfast's bassist at Electric Company in Utica, N.Y. At Spears's second-to-last show two nights prior at Toad's Place
in New Haven, CT, Giangreco joined The Breakfast for four songs to close the performance, including a stellar version of one of the band's most highly regarded songs, Mooboo's Voodoo (Episode 2), and then a cover of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
's "Karn Evil 9
", with Spears on lead vocals. A 'Thank You' video montage featuring Spears, the other members of the band, and their friends was also shown.
On January 11, 2008, Chris DeAngelis played his first show as The Breakfast's new bassist at Sully's in Hartford, CT. DeAngelis, a Connecticut
native, had previously played with Vermont
's Turkey Bouillon Mafia and shared the stage with members of Parliament-Funkadelic
, Eric Kalb (Deep Banana Blackout
), Dave Grippo (Trey Anastasio Band), Fred Hersch
, Chris Parker, and others.
On September 25, The Breakfast announced that due to creative differences Oestreicher would leave the band at the end of October. The band then embarked on a national tour, playing dates as a trio with Palmieri handling guitar and keyboard duties until Oestreicher's final run with The Breakfast, which began on Oct. 13 and culminated with his last show at Docksider Tavern in Erie, PA on Oct. 25.
On October 30, RAQ
keyboardist Todd Stoops sat in with The Breakfast to begin their yearly Halloween
run, The 10th Annual Fongoulish Freakout, which consisted of that night's performance at The Iron Horse in Northampton, MA, a show at The 'Sco at Oberlin College
in Oberlin, Ohio
on Oct. 31, and then a Nov. 1 show at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge in Burlington, Vermont
. The run commemorated The Breakfast's 10th anniversary, featuring the theme of 'Cartoonage', named after one of the band's songs, "Tunage", and consisted of them interspersing famous cartoon theme songs with their own material.
On November 7, Giangreco joined the band for their entire performance at Bear and Grill in Fairfield, CT. He then played with the Breakfast for their shows at Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts
on Nov. 28, followed by their performance at Daniel Street in Milford, CT on Nov. 29.
On December 12, The Breakfast announced that Giangreco would rejoin the band as their keyboardist and he then began his second stint with their show at Mill Street Brews in Southbridge, MA on Dec. 26.
In late summer of 2009, The Breakfast released their second live album, entitled The Breakfast: Live As Is, which consists of selected material from the group's February 28 show at The Field in Bridgeport, Connecticut
on Palmieri's 30th birthday.
On October 31, 2009, the band played its 11th Annual Fongoulish Freakout show, for which the theme was a celebration of music by Parliament-Funkadelic. Rico Lewis, who played with P-Funk, joined the band for their second set that was entirely composed of P-Funk songs.
Palmieri, Tramontano, Spears, and Breakfast archivist, Dave Pecoraro, also perform in a Red Hot Chili Peppers
tribute band called The Good Time Boys, which features Pecoraro on lead vocals and the other three on their respective instruments.
Palmieri also conceived and engineered a project entitled 'The Beatles A-Z', which consisted of himself, Spears, and Sean Miller playing every original song and cover from The Beatles' proper discography, as well as selected material from The Beatles Anthology
, and performing them acoustically in alphabetical order through the course of five Sundays in August 2008 at Daniel Street in Milford, CT. All totaled, the project consisted of 224 songs and featured sit-ins from a handful of other musicians, including Tramontano and Giangreco. Tramontano then joined Palmieri, Spears, and Miller for a reprise of the project in August 2009, although this time the songs were performed electrically with 25 unofficially released rarities added to the list. Once again, a bevy of special guests contributed to the project.
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
known for its style of progressive and funk rock.
History
The band was formed in East Haven, ConnecticutEast Haven, Connecticut
East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,189. The town is just 3 minutes from downtown New Haven...
in 1998 with the original lineup consisting of guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Tim Palmieri, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Ron Spears, drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Adrian Tramontano, and keyboardist
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Jordan Giangreco. They decided on their first name, Psychedelic Breakfast, based on the suggestion of Tramontano's cousin. It is a reference to the Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
song "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast
Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast
"Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" is a three-part instrumental track from the 1970 Pink Floyd album Atom Heart Mother.-Overview:The track features Pink Floyd playing in the background as Alan Stiles speaks about the breakfast he is preparing and eating, as well as breakfasts he has had in the past...
", from their album Atom Heart Mother
Atom Heart Mother
Atom Heart Mother is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1970 by Harvest and EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England, and reached number one in the United...
. The original idea of the band's name was a play-off of that song; "Adrian's Psychedelic Breakfast" (after Tramontano), and was later shortened to just "Psychedelic Breakfast". The band then began playing shows in Northeast and released their first album, Psychedelic Breakfast, in the summer of 1999. Four songs from that album were featured on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
series Undressed
Undressed (TV series)
Undressed is an American anthology series that aired on MTV from July 26, 1999 to September 5, 2002. The series was created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé.-Synopsis:...
.
The band released their second studio album, Deuce, in the summer of 2001, followed by their first live album, Bona Fide, in the winter of 2003, a time during which they began supplementing their Northeast shows with the occasional national tour.
The band then won a Jammy Award
Jammys
The Jammy Award are an awards show for bands typically called jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music. The Jammys are sponsored by Relix magazine, Jambands.com, and promoter Peter Shapiro...
for being "New Groove of the Year" in 2004, and shortly thereafter decided to change their name to The Breakfast. Also around this time, Relix Magazine printed an article about the band.
In the summer of 2005, The Breakfast released their third studio album, Real Radio, and embarked on a national tour that saw them open for popular bands such as The Wailers, moe.
Moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
, North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars
North Mississippi Allstars is a Southern rock/blues jam band from Hernando, Mississippi, founded in 1996. The band is composed of brothers Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson , and Chris Chew...
, and Gomez
Gomez (band)
Gomez are an English indie rock band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball , Paul "Blackie" Blackburn , Tom Gray , Ben Ottewell and Olly Peacock . The band is distinguished for having three singers and four songwriters, employing traditional and electronic instruments...
.
The Breakfast then released their fourth studio album, Moxie Epoxy, in the fall of 2006.
On July 7, 2006, shortly after The Breakfast played its 1,000th show, Giangreco played what was intended to be his final show with the band at Beardslee Castle
Beardslee Castle
Beardslee Castle is a castle in Little Falls, New York, USA, constructed in 1860 as a replica of an Irish castle, and currently used as a restaurant.-External links:*http://www.beardsleecastle.com/*http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyherkim/manheim/beardslee.html...
in Little Falls, New York
Little Falls (city), New York
Little Falls is a city in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The population was 5,188 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a small cataract near the city....
. Palmieri, Spears, and Tramontano then continued on as a trio for the next 13 months with Palmieri playing both keyboard and guitar.
On August 12, 2007, Matt Oestreicher played his first show as The Breakfast's new keyboardist at Gathering of the Vibes
Gathering of the Vibes
Gathering of the Vibes is an annual four-day music, camping and arts festival that celebrates the Grateful Dead & showcases a very diverse variety of music. Over the course of the event, styles often include; Funk, Bluegrass, Rock, Jam Band, Jazz, Reggae, R&B & Folk music. Since 1996, GOTV has...
in Bridgeport, CT.
On Dec. 31, Spears played his final show as The Breakfast's bassist at Electric Company in Utica, N.Y. At Spears's second-to-last show two nights prior at Toad's Place
Toad's Place
Toad's Place is a concert venue and nightclub in New Haven, Connecticut, with two other short lived locations in Waterbury, CT and Richmond, VA.-History:...
in New Haven, CT, Giangreco joined The Breakfast for four songs to close the performance, including a stellar version of one of the band's most highly regarded songs, Mooboo's Voodoo (Episode 2), and then a cover of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
's "Karn Evil 9
Karn Evil 9
"Karn Evil 9" is an extended work by progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, appearing on the album Brain Salad Surgery. A futuristic fusion of rock and classical themes, it is regarded by many fans to be their best work...
", with Spears on lead vocals. A 'Thank You' video montage featuring Spears, the other members of the band, and their friends was also shown.
On January 11, 2008, Chris DeAngelis played his first show as The Breakfast's new bassist at Sully's in Hartford, CT. DeAngelis, a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
native, had previously played with Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
's Turkey Bouillon Mafia and shared the stage with members of Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
, Eric Kalb (Deep Banana Blackout
Deep Banana Blackout
Deep Banana Blackout is a New Orleans style Jazz-funk band from Fairfield County, Connecticut. Formed in the summer of 1995 when members of two bands joined forces in their spare time to run through old Funk & Soul standards...
), Dave Grippo (Trey Anastasio Band), Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch
Fred Hersch is a contemporary American jazz pianist who has become a consistent and highly demanded performer on the international jazz scene....
, Chris Parker, and others.
On September 25, The Breakfast announced that due to creative differences Oestreicher would leave the band at the end of October. The band then embarked on a national tour, playing dates as a trio with Palmieri handling guitar and keyboard duties until Oestreicher's final run with The Breakfast, which began on Oct. 13 and culminated with his last show at Docksider Tavern in Erie, PA on Oct. 25.
On October 30, RAQ
RAQ
RAQ are a psychedelic, progressive rock quartet from Burlington, VT. They are a part of the jam band scene.-History:The group formed in 2000 with original keyboard player Marc Scortino and released their first studio effort "Shed Tech" a year later. In 2002 Scortino left the band and was replaced...
keyboardist Todd Stoops sat in with The Breakfast to begin their yearly Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
run, The 10th Annual Fongoulish Freakout, which consisted of that night's performance at The Iron Horse in Northampton, MA, a show at The 'Sco at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
on Oct. 31, and then a Nov. 1 show at Higher Ground Showcase Lounge in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. The run commemorated The Breakfast's 10th anniversary, featuring the theme of 'Cartoonage', named after one of the band's songs, "Tunage", and consisted of them interspersing famous cartoon theme songs with their own material.
On November 7, Giangreco joined the band for their entire performance at Bear and Grill in Fairfield, CT. He then played with the Breakfast for their shows at Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
on Nov. 28, followed by their performance at Daniel Street in Milford, CT on Nov. 29.
On December 12, The Breakfast announced that Giangreco would rejoin the band as their keyboardist and he then began his second stint with their show at Mill Street Brews in Southbridge, MA on Dec. 26.
In late summer of 2009, The Breakfast released their second live album, entitled The Breakfast: Live As Is, which consists of selected material from the group's February 28 show at The Field in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
on Palmieri's 30th birthday.
On October 31, 2009, the band played its 11th Annual Fongoulish Freakout show, for which the theme was a celebration of music by Parliament-Funkadelic. Rico Lewis, who played with P-Funk, joined the band for their second set that was entirely composed of P-Funk songs.
Lineup
The Breakfast is known for a high level of musicianship as all four members of the band are proficient at playing each instrument, something they occasionally do by "switching up" during a live performance. Palmieri is the primary songwriter, lyricist, and vocalist with Tramontano, DeAngelis, and Giangreco providing backup vocals and some lead in addition to their own compositions.Discography
- 1999: Psychedelic Breakfast
- 2001: Deuce — Sonance
- 2003: Bona Fide — Sonance
- 2005: Real Radio — Horizon Music Group
- 2006: Moxie Epoxy — Horizon Music Group
- 2009: Live As Is — Independent
Side Projects
In addition to performing with The Breakfast, Palmieri also regularly plays solo acoustic shows in the New Haven area—known to the band's fans as 'Timmy Tour'—which feature a mix of covers and Breakfast originals.Palmieri, Tramontano, Spears, and Breakfast archivist, Dave Pecoraro, also perform in a Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
tribute band called The Good Time Boys, which features Pecoraro on lead vocals and the other three on their respective instruments.
Palmieri also conceived and engineered a project entitled 'The Beatles A-Z', which consisted of himself, Spears, and Sean Miller playing every original song and cover from The Beatles' proper discography, as well as selected material from The Beatles Anthology
The Beatles Anthology
The Beatles Anthology is the name of a documentary series, a set of three double albums and a book focusing on the history of The Beatles. Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all participated in the making and approval of the works, which are sometimes referred to collectively as the...
, and performing them acoustically in alphabetical order through the course of five Sundays in August 2008 at Daniel Street in Milford, CT. All totaled, the project consisted of 224 songs and featured sit-ins from a handful of other musicians, including Tramontano and Giangreco. Tramontano then joined Palmieri, Spears, and Miller for a reprise of the project in August 2009, although this time the songs were performed electrically with 25 unofficially released rarities added to the list. Once again, a bevy of special guests contributed to the project.
External links
- thebreakfast.org - Official site
- thebreakfast.info - Fan Site, Message boards, etc.
- The Breakfast on MySpace
- The Breakfast at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Band at Jambase.com (When they were the Psychedelic Breakfast)